Would Jesus Bake a Cake?

February 19, 2014

Controversy erupted recently after the Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow individuals and businesses to refuse services to homosexuals (the bill since died in the state Senate). The bill's creators claimed it would protect the religious liberty rights of Christians who oppose gay marriage and therefore do not want to bake wedding cakes or arrange flowers for a same-sex marriage ceremony (but the bill was written much broader to allow more refusals of service than just for weddings). Kirsten Powers, a pundit on Fox News, penned a great USA Todaycolumn criticizing the bill and Christians who supported it and similar bills in other states. What Powers does that is important is she flips the argument away from a question of legality to Christian living. Should Christians try to legislate "freedom" for themselves to discriminate (like Jim Crow laws allowed against blacks before the civil rights movement) or should they serve everyone as Jesus did? Here are a few highlights of her arguments:

Whether Christians have the legal right to discriminate should be a moot point because Christianity doesn't prohibit serving a gay couple getting married. Jesus calls his followers to be servants to all. Nor does the Bible call service to another an affirmation. ... Christians serve unrepentant murderers through prison ministry. So why can't they provide a service for a same-sex marriage? ... Maybe they should just ask themselves, "What would Jesus do?" I think he'd bake the cake.

Amen! Jesus served - and even healed - everyone regardless of their sins (or even their repentance), which is good because we are all sinners! I agree that Jesus would bake the cake. After all, he did not get accused by the religious leaders of the day of being a glutton, drunkard, and friend sinners by passing laws allowing him the "right" to refuse service.